More bullpen blues

Poor Charlie Manuel (left). Any time he calls on a reliever not named Geoff Geary or Brett Myers lately, trouble seems to follow.

It happened again Sunday, when Antonio Alfonseca and Fabio Castro combined to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-1 hole as the Phillies saw their three-game winning streak end.

Alfonseca started the ninth inning by allowing consecutive singles to Cesar Izturis and pinch-hitter Cliff Floyd. After a strikeout of Alfonso Soriano, Alfonseca walked Ryan Theriot to load the bases.

Manuel then turned to Castro for just his third appearance since April 28 and first since May 5. Castro threw four straight balls to pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa, forcing in a run. Clay Condrey replaced Castro and record two straight groundball outs to end the inning, but not before the Cubs got another run.

Who else could Manuel have used? Well, Geary had pitched two straight days, including a 26-pitch outing Friday night. Myers threw two innings and 35 pitches to finish Saturday's 11-7 win, so he was unavailable.

That left Alfonseca as Manuel's next best option. The move didn't work as Alfonseca allowed at least one run for the fifth time in his last eight appearances, a span of struggles that has pushed his ERA from 0.75 to 5.30.

Remember, Manuel has to let Castro, Condrey, Francisco Rosario and Yoel Hernandez pitch if the Phillies ever hope to get some decent innings from them. Castro's inactivity probably contributed to his erratic command. The other relievers will also will have a hard time staying sharp if they sit idle for too long.

The Phillies have received seven straight quality starts, so they haven't had many opportunities lately to pitch their inexperienced relievers in low-pressure spots. The need to rest Geary and Myers means Manuel will sometimes have to use Castro, Hernandez, Rosario and Condrey when a game is tight.

If those pitchers don't do the job, don't blame Manuel. Blame the lack of bullpen depth that has forced the Phillies to turn to guys like Castro and Rosario.